Why Kwest4Learning started

Apr 17

Kwest4Learning has been a dream that has taken about a decade to become a reality. The Kwest4Learning dream began in 2007. I had completed a Masters in Special Education with a major in Autism and as the proud parent of 3 sons, one of whom has high functioning autism, I was aware of the painful difficulties members of the Autism community suffered. My son’s life experiences, the experiences of many of my students, plus my experiences as a teacher working with high functioning autism and people with Asperger’s is why I wanted to find a way to empower people to be the best of themselves. I created this company to educate, inform and help people build the skills they need to improve their lives.

There was a profound experience I had which influenced me during my teaching career. 3 young men who attended high schools were so unhappy they had decided their only option was suicide. Two of these guys tried to commit suicide and thankfully failed. The other one wrote an incredible essay in his English class on the pros and cons of whether to commit suicide. His parents had told me that his hearing was so sensitive that he was being driven crazy by the constant barrage of noise around him. We were able to turn his situation around by finding a solution to the sensitivity issue. His parents were very supportive and we were able to get custom made earplugs for him – and that changed his world. Within a year this young man was talking to others, smiling and laughing and most importantly establishing friendships.

These experiences plus the research conducted by Tony Attwood and Michelle Garnett (Minds and Hearts) on friendships, which concluded that as long as people with autism had at least one friend, the chance of suicide reduced dramatically. This research made me realise that there is so much that can be done to help improve peoples lives. Hence the birth of Kwest4Learning’s Social Engagement groups – which have been running in Brisbane for four years this Easter (2017) and will begin on the Gold Coast in April 6 this year.